A postcard a day, from a large collection of postcards received, sent to me by me, and/or collected over the last 30+ years.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Howdy In and From Turkey

My brother's name is Howard, but we call him Howdy. This postcard is from his time traveling Europe with his friend, Dave. Howdy is 6'4", Dave at least 6'5" and both are extremely handsome - my brother, with brown hair and dimples and Dave, with a great booming voice and very blond hair. They were 22 or 23 years old. I can only imagine how they stood out, especially in Turkey.

This card is proof that Howdy, indeed, has flown before. He has a flying phobia and I don't think he's been on a plane in 20 or more years. It also demonstrates how clearly a postcard is a mini-glimpse of a person's personality. There's no space (and no expectation) for much more than a glimpse, which is just the right amount, in most cases.

Howdy is competitive, in a wonderful, almost gentle, way. Proof: "I was thinking about you as how you are the "exotic" one in the family. You now have a partner." He is very funny, with a dry sense of humor. Proof: "By being here I now want to continue into the land of the unknown. The problem is my money is running out and I need to be home in time for the Xmas reimbursements." and "I'd rather be in Istanbul."

Once, Howdy and I went to Zihuatanejo together. We stayed in a rustic resort, with stone stairways cut into the cliff and two hammocks off every room. He is a wonderful traveling partner, with a more exotic sense of adventure than you might expect. I hope he does some traveling again, some day, as it's good for him!

About Me

I've been sending and receiving postcards for over 30 years. When I travel, I send a postcard to myself, even if it's just a one day business trip. I badger my friends to send me postcards when they go on trips. I collected postcard ads from those free postcard dispensers, that used to be found near bathrooms and phone booths in public places around the world. I have a scrapbook of postcards, sent between 1902 and 1905 to my great grandfather from an aunt, who appears to have been traveling extensively around Europe. First post: July 5, 2009